MEN’S TENNIS BOASTS FIVE ITA SCHOLAR ATHLETES

BLUE RAIDERS ALSO NAMED AN ITA ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM

@MTAthletics

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. - Middle Tennessee's men's tennis team was named an ITA All-Academic Team and placed five Blue Raiders on the ITA Scholar Athlete list.
 
The ITA All-Academic Team award, announced by the ITA on Tuesday, is the program's sixth such award, with the first coming in 2011. Miguel Negre Fernandez, Gonzalo Morell Raschiatore, Luis Morillo Diaz, Tom Moonen and Max Rauch were all named ITA Scholar Athletes, with Negre, Morell and Morillo being repeat winners.
 
Head coach Jimmy Borendame's program earned ITA All-Academic Team status by posting a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 out of 4.0, with all letter winners being factored in. The ITA Scholar Athletes were chosen based on at least a 3.5 GPA out of 4.0 and maintaining enrollment at their school for two semesters.
 
"Our guys work hard all year in the classroom, and I'm proud of them for receiving this award today," Borendame said. "We strongly believe our guys are students first and athletes next."
 
Negre is no stranger to academic awards in his three seasons of experience in Murfreesboro. For the second time in his college career, he was named to the C-USA All-Academic Team in April, and has been on the C-USA Honor Roll every season at MT. He earned a C-USA Academic Medal for the second time in his career at the conclusion of the 2017 season, in which he posted a 10-9 doubles record with Gian Issa and was named to the C-USA Second Team Doubles list.
 
Morell's second season at Middle Tennessee was spent at the top of the lineup the majority of the time, and he was rewarded for a stellar season on the courts with spots on the C-USA Second Team Singles and First Team Doubles. Along with this ITA Scholar Athlete award, Morell has been listed on the C-USA Honor Roll twice and has earned two C-USA Academic Medals.
 
Morillo joined Negre on the C-USA All-Academic Team after this season, and he was recently awarded his second C-USA Academic Medal and took a spot on the C-USA Honor Roll for the second time in his career as a Blue Raider. He started the spring 2017 season with a national singles ranking of No. 113 after a 9-1 mark in the fall.
 
Moonen's first season at MT concluded with identical athletic honors as Morell, spots on the C-USA Second Team Singles and First Team Doubles lists. He was rewarded for his work in the classroom with a spot on the C-USA Honor Roll and a C-USA Academic Medal to go with the ITA Scholar Athlete award.
 
This ITA Scholar Athlete award is the third academic honor for Rauch after his first season in Murfreesboro. The upcoming sophomore was tied for the most wins in the spring season with a record of 11-11, mostly at the bottom of the lineup.
 
The 2017-18 season gets underway September 8-9 at the Adams Tennis Complex with the Wally Tidwell Pro-Am.